


Til we're eighty

by Otherworldliness



Category: Emmerdale
Genre: Character Death, I'm Sorry, M/M, Sad Ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-12
Updated: 2019-06-12
Packaged: 2020-05-02 06:12:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 520
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19193332
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Otherworldliness/pseuds/Otherworldliness
Summary: The news of Ryan leaving has hit me hard, so I wrote this through the tears.Robert and Aaron when they're eighty.





	Til we're eighty

The steady  _beep_ of machinery filled the otherwise quiet hospital room. Flowers and 'Get Well Soon' cards littered the room, along with Robert's favourite treats. They were signs of a life well lived, of a man well loved. 

But the mere sight of them offended Aaron.

It had started a month ago. Robert had already been getting weak in his old age, his knees going dodgy and his hips getting worn, but this was something different - something worse. Slowly, Robert started getting up later and later, until eventually he could hardly stand at all. The family had all been positive, reminding Aaron how much they'd been through; how much more they could still survive, but as soon as Robert was hospitalised he knew.

Liv had only come twice. She had a family of her own to look after now, children she'd adopted, and neither of the them could blame her. Seb, though, had come every day, responsible for half the sweets on the bedside table. He'd always been closer to Aaron- some strange twist of fate - but in these past few weeks he'd been Robert's son through and through. 

But now, in the end, it was just the two of them: Aaron's rough hand clapping Robert's aged ones as he scanned the room quietly. Of course he was happy to see that everyone had put in the effort, but they weren't here now, when he needed them. The thought of Robert going without his whole family around him - it made Aaron sick.

"Don't," Robert said softly, his voice raspy. "I know that look, Aaron, and I don't want that here now."

Aaron shook his head. "Don't speak," he warned, holding onto him tighter. "Keep your energy."

And even now, Robert could raise an eyebrow at him. "Don't think that's gonna change anything now." When Aaron frowned, he continued, "I never believed that I would ever get to go out like this. With someone like you, after the perfect life we've had. The children we raised - all of it together." Softly, he smiled at him. "I wouldn't change any of this for the world."

That wasn't good enough for Aaron. "They should be here."

"I've said my goodbyes to them," he said. "But now... I don't want to leave you alone."

"Come on, old man like me," Aaron tried to joke. "I'll be right behind ya."

Robert grimaced. "You don't mean that." Aaron said nothing. "I mean it. I want you to enjoy your last year's as much as I've enjoyed mine."

And that - that was his breaking point.

"We really did it, didn't we," Aaron said, sniffling. "Have the perfect life. Make it to eight and everything."

Through the tears they both laughed. "Absolute madness," he agreed. Then, quieter, "God, I love you."

"Rob-"

"Thank you for loving me. For taking me back when I didn't deserve it."

"There was never anything to forgive," he confessed with a firm shake of his head. "Not ever."

Robert didn't seem to believe that, but he nodded anyway. "When... When the time comes, you'll be here?"

"Always," he answered immediately. 

And he was.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm currently writing a longer fic for them, which I will be completing. I'm in this till the end and even after that - always.


End file.
